Product discharging device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016155286-A1
Application number	US-201615016972-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 5, 2016
Priority date	Jan 10, 2014
Publication date	Jun 2, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A product discharging device includes: a lower pedal swingably arranged with a base in such a manner that a distal end thereof advances into and retreats from a product storage passage storing therein, along an up-and-down direction, products that are input thereto; an upper pedal swingably arranged with the base in a region above the lower pedal, in such a manner that a distal end thereof advances into and retreats from the product storage passage; and a sold-out detection switch configured to detect whether there is any product in the product storage passage by going into an ON state or an OFF state when the lower pedal is in a first standby posture and going into the OFF state or the ON state when the lower pedal is in a second standby posture.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A product discharging device comprising:
a lower pedal swingably arranged with a base in such a manner that a distal end thereof advances into and retreats from a product storage passage storing therein, along an up-and-down direction, products that are input thereto; and an upper pedal swingably arranged with the base in a region above the lower pedal, in such a manner that a distal end thereof advances into and retreats from the product storage passage, wherein while in a standby state, by causing the upper pedal to retreat from the product storage passage and causing the lower pedal to advance into the product storage passage, a product in a lowest position is placed on a top face of the lower pedal, so that the lower pedal goes into a first standby posture and restrains the product from moving downward, whereas, while in a driven state, by causing the upper pedal to advance into the product storage passage so as to abut against a product in a second lowest position and causing the lower pedal to retreat from the product storage passage, the product in the lowest position is discharged downward, when no product is placed on the top face of the lower pedal in the standby state, the lower pedal goes into a second standby posture in which the distal end thereof is positioned higher than in the first standby posture, and the product discharging device includes a sold-out detection switch configured to detect whether there is any product in the product storage passage by going into an ON state or an OFF state when the lower pedal is in the first standby posture and going into the OFF state or the ON state when the lower pedal is in the second standby posture.

2 . The product discharging device according to claim 1 , further comprising: a sold-out link that is arranged with a swing support shaft serving as a swing central axis of the lower pedal, the sold-out link being configured to bring the sold-out detection switch into the ON state by not pressing a contact element of the sold-out detection switch when the lower pedal is in the first standby posture, and to bring the sold-out detection switch into the OFF state by pressing the contact element when the lower pedal is in the second standby posture.

3 . The product discharging device according to claim 1 , wherein the sold-out detection switch is arranged with a harness guide which is provided for the base and along which a harness is extended.

4 . The product discharging device according to claim 1 , wherein the product discharging device is configured to structure a product dispensing device by being arranged back to back with another product discharging device including: another lower pedal swingably arranged with a base in such a manner that a distal end thereof advances into and retreats from another product storage passage storing therein, along an up-and-down direction, products that are input thereto; and another upper pedal swingably arranged with the base in a region above said another lower pedal, in such a manner that a distal end thereof advances into and retreats from said another product storage passage, wherein while in a standby state, by causing said another upper pedal to retreat from said another product storage passage and causing said another lower pedal to advance into said another product storage passage, a product in a lowest position is placed on a top face of said another lower pedal, so that said another lower pedal goes into a first standby posture and restrains the product from moving downward, whereas, while in a driven state, by causing said another upper pedal to advance into said another product storage passage so as to abut against a product in a second lowest position and causing said another lower pedal to retreat from said another product storage passage, the product in the lowest position is discharged downward,
when no product is placed on the top face of said another lower pedal in the standby state, said another lower pedal goes into a second standby posture in which the distal end thereof is positioned higher than in the first standby posture, and the product discharging device includes another sold-out detection switch configured to detect whether there is any product in said another product storage passage by going into an ON state or an OFF state when said another lower pedal is in the first standby posture and going into the OFF state or the ON state when said another lower pedal is in the second standby posture.

5 . The product discharging device according to claim 4 , wherein the sold-out detection switch and said another sold-out detection switch are integrally structured.

6 . The product discharging device according to claim 4 , further comprising: another sold-out link that is arranged with a swing support shaft serving as a swing central axis of said another lower pedal, said another sold-out link being configured to bring said another sold-out detection switch into the ON state by not pressing a contact element of said another sold-out detection switch when said another lower pedal is in the first standby posture, and to bring said another sold-out detection switch into the OFF state by pressing the contact element when said another lower pedal is in the second standby posture, wherein
the sold-out detection switch and said another sold-out detection switch are provided so as to be interposed between the sold-out link and said another sold-out link.

Assignees

• Fuji Electric Co Ltd

Inventors

• Yasaka Yoshio
• Makino Michihiko
• Nakajima Norio

Classifications

• G07F11/24 Primary

  Rotary or oscillatory members · CPC title

• G07F9/02

  Devices for alarm or indication, e.g. when empty; Advertising arrangements in coin-freed apparatus (alarms or warning devices indicating the interruption of flow to be metered G07F15/10) · CPC title

• G07F11/34

  in which the magazines are of zig-zag form · CPC title